


Letting Go of A Friend

by 46hasu



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, angst i think, ghost's thoughts, grimm troupe banishment ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 15:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19748455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/46hasu/pseuds/46hasu
Summary: The fate of a vessel is not one to be envied. Ghost knows that more than anyone.





	Letting Go of A Friend

They quickly sidestepped to avoid the shell that was dropped from above. 

Almost there but there was still a considerable distance. There was a loud  _ crack _ followed by another in a continuous pace. 

They readjusted their grip only to be met with sharp pain from their claw and felt the void dripping from the wound. Still, they held on and continued to make their up, trembling from exhaustion but determined. 

The light was finally within their reach and the noise of the falling shells has stopped at last. They looked up to see the pale figure with a tall crown leave without looking back. The little shadow figure started to follow him. 

There was a considerable distance of where they were and where the door was. But this was their only chance at escape. They leaped and barely managed to get a proper hold. The noise of their landing made the little shadow look back at them. 

They stared at the little shadow until they felt themselves starting to lose their grip. 

As if anticipating that moment of weakness, the abyss below them let out a roar and they felt something pulling their legs down. The little shadow watched them struggle against the unknown force’s grip. They struggled against it until they gave up. 

They reached out a claw to their “sibling”. 

_ Please _ .

Their sibling looked at their claw and back at them. 

_ Please _ .

It was pulling them down harder and they felt themselves slipping. 

The little shadow turned away to follow the pale figure. As they should. 

They tried to pull themselves up but felt the mysterious force still tugging them back. 

The stone door was starting to close, about to lock them in the darkness forever. 

_ Wait _ . 

Their claws lost their grip and they felt themselves fall into the darkness ready to swallow them whole. 

_ I want- _

They felt a dull blow to their side and automatically reached for their nail. 

A quick scan around their surroundings showed that there were still safe on the bench at the City of Tears. They reluctantly let go of their nail and looked down at the source of the blow that woke them up.

The Grimmchild let out a disgruntled yowl and head-butted them on their side again. Ghost held their claw and tried to give them a pat on their head in order to calm them down. 

This wasn’t the first time this has happened. Even though it was a literal pain to deal with, they were grateful that the child woke them up from their nightmares that seemed to appear more and more often. Ever since the dance with the Troupe Master, the child woke them up like this from their brief power naps. They would occasionally head butt them until they were convinced that their caretaker would stay awake. 

The Grimmchild was finally satisfied with the patting and returned to their usual spot on the floor. Ghost rubbed their side until the soreness was gone from the child’s merciless attacks and opened their map. They guessed the nightmares came more often because of the ritual that made the child stronger. The vessel of nightmares was almost at their peak power due to Ghost’s role in the ritual. With the last flame, the child would grow and eventually leave Hallownest for their Troupe. 

It was almost ironic to see how vessels always end up meeting each other but could never seem to stay together for long. Their siblings and this child were never meant to stay with them. 

The ritual can be halted but what will happen if they ended the ritual before the conclusion?

Ghost had thought about the number of possibilities. Grimm will surely be furious but they won’t be able to harm Ghost since he would be banished from Hallownest. And they didn’t have plans to leave the kingdom. 

The kingdom, meanwhile, will rest in its ashes in peace and Dirtmouth will see their own peaceful days back. (Elderbug would be happy about that.) And if Brumm was honest, which he seemed to be, the Troupe would be free from their duties. There was no harm in banishing Grimm really, in fact, it would seem to do good. 

There was a scuffle followed by a “nyah” next to their feet. Ghost looked down at the Grimmchild to see what caught their attention and saw them trying to keep a vengefly in their small claws. What would happen to the child?

Would they be discarded for no longer having its uses if the Ritual is stopped? 

They pushed the thought aside but it persisted. A vessel was considered useless if it was unsuitable to perform its duty and the child still hasn’t been fed all the flames it needed to grow. 

Ghost folded their map and stowed it away. Pondering about the fate of the child will accomplish nothing. Even if the child was discarded, what did it matter to them? They won’t be their caretaker if Grimm was banished from Hallownest and would finally be allowed to continue their duty to Hallownest instead of being impeded by the Grimmkin at every part of the kingdom. 

But the question still persisted within them. 

They got up from the bench with a silent huff and made their way to the center of the City. (But they still looked back to make sure the Grimmchild still followed them.)

Logically thinking, Grimm wouldn’t get rid of the Grimmchild since it seemed that they were the only vessel for the Heart of Grimm. They doubted he could get another vessel so soon after the banishment, especially if most of the Troupe members were to leave with their newfound freedom. 

The child will be fine. Grimm wouldn’t kill them. 

Ghost repeated the words to themselves silently while the child followed them outdoors. 

The Grimmchild may be unsuitable to prolong the Heart of Grimm but they were strong enough to look after themselves even if Grimm does abandon them. They would be able to survive the Wastes beyond Hallownest. 

Their insides tightened at the thought of the Wastes. It wasn’t a pleasant place but it was arguably safer what Hallownest has become. 

They looked up at the monument of their sibling in the middle of the City and wondered if the people of Hallownest truly knew about their sibling’s origin and sacrifice. Most likely not. 

Their sibling’s call went unnoticed at first. Hidden in a crevice of a cave, they were trying to rest from a fight against a lesser bug that left them more injured than they would have preferred. 

They felt soft pounding working its way up their spine to the shell but they brushed it off as an injury from the skirmish. The next day, however, the feeling didn’t go away no matter how many souls they focused. Eventually, it got worse as the days went on until they were unable to physically remove themselves from the ground. They stared at the ceiling of the cave, waiting for the pain to end and have everything turn to nothing. 

But to their surprise, the pain slowly subsided until it was finally gone. If they could, they would have cried with relief. Instead, they slowly sat up and looked at the cave’s exit. 

The pain was gone but there was something else that was left over, an urge. They had to go back. It wasn’t clear where they had to go back, but they still stood up and walked out of the safety of the cave. 

The sounds of wings beating and water being splashed on to the side of their cloak, brought them out of their memory. Grimmchild stopped their shaking and let out a meow for an apology after noticing they accidentally splashed water on them. Ghost looked at the child and noticed how restless they were getting. Not the child’s fault but theirs, they should have known how the child hated getting wet. 

They silently opened up their cloak with one arm, offering the Grimmchild a shelter from the downpour. The child let out a happy chirp and flew underneath their cloak. They floated in place for a while and wrapped their wings around Ghost for a steady hold. It wasn’t a perfect cover against the rain but it would have to do. 

They made their way quickly as they could to go indoors to offer some relief for Grimmchild. The moment they were away from the rain, the child flew out of their cloak and started to breathe out small puffs of fire while aggressively beating their wings in an effort to dry up. 

Well, wherever the child ends up after Grimm was banished, Ghost hoped they would be in a place that didn’t have too much water. 

The thought caught them by surprise. They already made the choice of banishing Grimm Troupe without realizing it. 

Well, why shouldn’t they? The ritual was nothing but a distraction from their duty. 

The memory of the pain came again. Their sibling had been suffering from that pain for who knows how long. Prolonging it was too cruel, even if it was their purpose to tolerate that pain as they were a vessel. 

This child is also a vessel. Would they have to tolerate that pain as well? Did they want that?

Ghost never knew what it was like to want something until they remembered their past in the Abyss. Back then, they wanted to live. But that was never truly possible being a vessel. 

The Wastes were a dangerous place but that was the closest they were to be alive. They didn’t have any duties out there and there certainly wasn’t a pale figure judging their actions every part of the day. It was better than being a vessel. 

But they still came back to Hallownest to perform their duty even if they were seen as unfit for it. It was their choice. 

Ghost looked at the Grimmchild who was watching a husk guard with an appraising look. Did they have a choice?

It was doubtful. They didn’t have the chance to escape as Ghost did. All they could do was follow the ritual. But if the ritual was stopped and the Troupe was banished then maybe-just maybe-they could have the chance to make a choice to perform their duty or live freely. 

\--

The Howling Cliffs was the closest they could get to the Hallownest’s border without fully leaving the kingdom. They looked out to the Wastes. Dreary and desolate, just as how they remembered it. 

The Grimmchild would be fine out there, they saw them burn enough husks and react properly to dangerous environments. They were strong enough to survive alone. 

Ghost looked at the way that would lead to the lantern. It still wasn’t too late. They could continue exploring Hallownest together and ignore the ritual, let Grimm wait for the last dance. Or they could continue the ritual and feed the Grimmchild. 

But Ghost knew neither of the options was likely. Ignoring the ritual only continue to impede Ghost’s duty of freeing their sibling and they have already been in pain long enough. Continuing the ritual was still an option but that option made them feel at unease. 

Could they really subject the Grimmchild to the bonds of being a vessel? 

They had desperately hoped for freedom at some point, but now that was impossible. There were no regrets, but the feeling of longing remained. 

How could they throw Grimmchild under conditions they live? They can’t, not when the child can’t make that choice yet. 

They held up their claw to their “child.” 

Funny, Grimm can call them their child but Ghost couldn’t bring themselves to think that. Grimmchild wasn’t necessarily their sibling either. 

They put their claw on the Grimmchild’s head to pet them as they usually did. The child let out a happy purr and leaned into it. 

Ghost couldn’t put their relationship into words as they could with Hornet, the Hollow Knight, and even the Pale King. But they did feel a certain attachment to the child as if they were kin. They had that feeling before but when?

Quirrel’s voice came to their mind, suddenly. 

_ “Again we meet my short friend.” _

Friend? Was that the word to describe them?

They continued to pet the Grimmchild and thought on that word. The pain they felt when they last saw Quirrel in Blue Lake was back suddenly and stronger than before. The feeling of saying goodbye to a friend is a painful thing.

Grimmchild’s happy mewling eventually died down and they flew around Ghost’s head as they did, patiently waiting for them to decide on where to go next. This was probably the last time they could do that. 

The pain didn’t go away as they lowered their claw and walked on. 

They were going to be alone again now. Their sibling was waiting for them and the time to free them was approaching. 

But first, they were going to let go of their friend. 

**Author's Note:**

> I uh didn't banish the troupe but I thought it was an interesting ending lore wise


End file.
